Im on my 2nd car with built in sat nav and wouldn't be without it now. It finishes of the look of the interior well, makes it look complete. Sat nav screen then is used to display everything you need a lot easier than if you to flick through a DIS. I very rarely use my sat nav but will defo make sure it's in my next car.

Im on my 2nd car with built in sat nav and wouldn't be without it now. It finishes of the look of the interior well, makes it look complete. Sat nav screen then is used to display everything you need a lot easier than if you to flick through a DIS. I very rarely use my sat nav but will defo make sure it's in my next car.

Im on my 2nd car with built in sat nav and wouldn't be without it now. It finishes of the look of the interior well, makes it look complete. Sat nav screen then is used to display everything you need a lot easier than if you to flick through a DIS. I very rarely use my sat nav but will defo make sure it's in my next car.

So if your dealer said £2,000 for sat nav you really use that you have on your smart phone for free, you would buy the dealer option at £2,000?

So if your dealer said £2,000 for sat nav you really use that you have on your smart phone for free, you would buy the dealer option at £2,000?

I don't buy brand new so the costs are some what lower when buying 2nd hand.

But seriously, comparing a smart phone to a built in sat nav, a built in sat nav in a BMW is much more than a sat nav, it's a multi media unit, gives all sorts of info about the car, it's no comparison to a smart phone.

I don't buy brand new so the costs are some what lower when buying 2nd hand.

But seriously, comparing a smart phone to a built in sat nav, a built in sat nav in a BMW is much more than a sat nav, it's a multi media unit, gives all sorts of info about the car, it's no comparison to a smart phone.

Yep, have to agree with this. You always get these kind of answers. What can a Sat Nav do that a £100 smart phone app can't and the answer is

1) A smartphone can't integrate with the controls in your car to control all it's multimedia functions

2) A smartphone can't be used as a display for all of the cars functions

3) A smartphone will need to mounted somewhere so that you can use it as a navigation aid when you drive. This means trailing wires, phone holders, window mount suckers or a combination of the above, I have NEVER seen a smartphone mount\holder which I'd find visually acceptable\ aesthetically pleasing in my car.

4) A smartphone won't smarten up the interior, a sat nav screen lifts the interior and makes the car look a little bit more special.

5) A smartphone won't increase the value of your car or make it more sell-able come resale time, a built in sat nav unit will.

I agree the price manufacturers charge for them does take the p*ss so some may decide to forego it but if I was speccing a new car, I wouldn't leave it out and when buying second hand it's even more of a no brainer as I wouldn't buy a car without one and neither would a lot of people.